Summer biology camp reaches out to eastern NC

GREENVILLE, NC
(July 30, 2008)
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East Carolina University’s PIRATES Summer Science Camp offered 36 students from rural eastern North Carolina a chance to learn about science. PIRATES, an acronym for Partnering with Industrial and Regional Assets for Teaching and Enrichment in Science, aimed to expose students to new scientific experiences in both the laboratory and the field.

Enderle, the director of the program, and Mary Farwell, ECU biology instructor, worked with students to teach them scientific methods not typically offered in the high school classroom. On ECU’s campus, students performed investigations into concepts from varied scientific disciplines. Field trips, such as a trip to Lake Matamuskeet, allowed students to observe science in a natural environment.

The camp encouraged students to pursue scientific study and career paths available in the region. Students shared knowledge with parents and school officials through poster presentations at the end of the camp.

PIRATES is a collaborative project created out of the Department of Biology and the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences with assistance from the College of Education’s Rural Education Institute, as well as the Beaufort, Greene, and Martin County school systems. PIRATES Summer Science Camp was supported through funding from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Student Science Enric